Barry Soper: Jacinda Ardern is the most unusual Prime Minister New Zealand has ever had

Jacinda Ardern flies back into the country this morning. Although she hardly needed a plane to get her home given this past week she has been riding high, with her feet hardly touching the ground, being motorcaded through the leading capitals of Europe meeting many world leaders for the first time.

It's incredible to think that just a year ago the notion of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern would have been met with uproarious laughter, reinforced by her claims that she never wanted to become the boss.

Her first trip to Europe in the job is being hailed as a raging success, essentially because Ardern is engaging, she knows how to talk the talk - whether it's with the leaders of France and Germany or Her Majesty The Queen herself. Even the narcissistic Justin Trudeau wanted to be photographed by her side.

All of this isn't surprising. Ardern is the most unusual Prime Minister this country's ever had. She's of a new generation, the likes that the old Commonwealth guard have only seen once before when Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto was pregnant in office way back in 1990.

Imagine the current generation having the view that the Pakistani Opposition leader had of Ms Bhutto's pregnancy at the time, saying she wanted it all, motherhood, domesticity and glamour, adding an ordinary person in those circumstances would be seen as greedy!

So when the young, heavily pregnant Prime Minister graced the golden, gilt-edged, cavernous halls of Buckingham Palace draped in a Maori feather cloak, with her partner Clarke Gayford, she was most certainly a curiosity. It was no surprise she got to propose the toast at the state dinner for the leaders with her new bestie generational friend Trudeau and it was no surprise she was singled out wherever she went.

She most certainly was charming and was obviously charmed by her first connection with Royalty, admitting before she left that it's a far cry from Morrinsville to the Queen's living room in her 775-room Palace, sitting on London's most expensive piece of real estate.

It would have been hard for her not to be impressed by Clarence House in The Mall where Prince Charles and Camilla live. He was on a charm offensive, just like the Royal firm has been for the past few years, to secure him his first real job as head of the Commonwealth when his mum meets her maker.

The Prince secured the vote of Ardern, even though she's an avowed Republican, and the votes of the other leaders to ensure the Royal succession.

Taking her seat behind the desk in the Beehive today will most certainly bring her back to earth.